Rail-joint.



W. P. SELLERS.

RAIL JOINT.

AAAAAAAA ION FILED MAR.15,1913.

1,077,1 68. Patented Oct 28, 1913.

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W. F. SELLERS.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED. MAR.15, 191s.

1,077,1 68, Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

I i M Rb. W COLUMDH} iLA GRA I 0 PH co.. WASHINGTON o c WILLIAM F. SELLERS, 0F GALLITZIN, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

Application filed March 15, 1913. Serial No. 754,505.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. SE LERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gallitzin, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in rail joints.

In carrying out my invention it is my purpose to provide a joint for the meeting ends of railway rails which shall be of a comparatively cheap construction, easily and quickly secured to the rail ends or removed therefrom, which will render the rails at their meeting ends of a strength exceeding the rails at any other point throughout their lengths, which will permit of the desired elasticity to the rails but which will effectively prevent the sinking of the rails so that one of the heads is arranged below the head of the co-acting rail when the rolling stock passes thereover, and furthermore which will effectively prevent the lateral movement of the rails.

WVith the above recited objects in view, and others which will appear as the nature of the improvement is more fully understood, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a satisfactory reduction of my improvement to practice, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rail joint constructed in accordance with my invention and showing the same supporting coacting rail ends, Fig. '2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2-'2 of Fig. 3, Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the improvement,

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken; upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 isa similar view but illustrating the rail ends,

resting upon a cushion member in the form of a wooden sleeper, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the members of the joint, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the clamping members.

The rails, which are indicated by the character R are of the ordinary construction and have their webs adjacent their ends proyided with the usual bolt receiving openings.

The oint comprises, essentially, two members, of a similar construction. The joint members, designated by the numerals 1 are the base flanges of the rails R, with which the said angular members are adapted to engage and overlie; The inner faces of the vertical plates 3 are provided with channels which extend their entire lengths, thus provldmg the said inner faces, at their upper and lower edges, with beads 5. The lower bead 5 is adapted to engage with the rails R at the juncture of the webs of the rails with their base flanges, and the upper beads 5 are adapted to engage with the rails at the juncture of the webs with the heads of the said rails. The upper edges of the plates 3 are shaped to conform with the shape of the underfaces of the balls or heads of the rails with which they engage. The outer faces of the vertical members 3, at or adjacent the upper edge thereof, are each provided with an out-turned rib 6 which extends the entire length.

Integrally formed upon each of the base members .2, of the members 1, centrally of, and arranged at the outer edge thereof, is

an inwardly curved wing 7. These wings 7 are formed of some resilient material and are adapted to have their upper edges contact with the plates 3 and with the underfaces :of the ribs 6. These wings are provided to reinforce the joint at the central portion of the same, as well as to permit of a certain amountof elasticity to the joint. It will be noted by reference to the drawings that the ends of the rails R abut centrally of the wings 7 and that danger of the inking of the rails at this point is thus effectively prevented.

The numerals 10 designate downwardly extending inwardly curved reinforcing plates which are connected with the base members 2 below the wings 7, and which are adapted to add to the rigidity and eflicienoy of the joint. As shown in the figures of the drawings, the inner curved walls of the plates 10 are disposed approximately directly below the edges of the base flanges of the ails as well as the pockets provided by the angular portions 4: for the reception of the said edges of the rails, but the ends of the said plates 10 are bent outwardly from the joint. The plates 10 are constructed of heavy but resilient material, and. if desired, a cushion member 11 may be arranged between the same and be frictionally cont-acted thereby. The rounded ends of the plates 10 contact with the cushion member 11 to the opposite sides of said cushion member and adjacent the bottom thereof, and the resiliency of said plates is suiiicient to retain the said cushion member directly into contact with the underlt'aces of the base flanges of the rails at the meeting ends of the said rails. The vertical members 3 of the members 1, at the opposite sides of the resilient wings 7 are provided with openings which are adapted to register with the bolt openings in the webs of the rails R, and suitable securing bolts provided with retaining nuts are employed for connecting the joint with the rail ends.

I have found it desirable to provide means in addition to the ordinary spikes for preventing the outward movement of the base members 2 of the joint, when the said joint is arranged upon the ties T. I employ retaining members which are in the nature of clamps 12, the said clamps comprising each a flat body member which has upstanding shoulders it which are arranged adjacent its ends, the upper faces of each of the clamps from its shoulder to its end being inclined downwardly and outwardly and being provided with openings 15 for the reception of securing spikes. These clamps may abut with the upper edges of the curved plate 10, and resting upon the ties T, and secured to the said ties will not only effectively prevent an outward movement of the joint, but will also prevent a longitudinal movement of the members 1.

From the above description, taken in connection with the drawings, the advantages of the device will, it is thought, be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the art to which such inventions appertain without further detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, is:

1. In a rail joint, two abutting rails, angle plates adapted to be arranged upon the opposite faces of the rails, the vertical member 01": each of the angle plates having a rib, the horizontal member of each of the angle plates having a curved wing which is adapted to abut against the vertical member of the plate and to underlie and engage with the rib, means for securing the angular members to the webs of the rails, and each of the angular members having a centrally arranged downwardly projecting reinforcing plate.

2. A rail joint, including a pair of rails, and comprising angular fish plates arranged upon the opposite sides of the rails and engaging within the fishing spaces of the rails, each of said plates having a resilient mem ber exerting a tension between the vertical and horizontal elements of the said plates, and a downwardly depending curved plate arranged below each of the resilient members.

3. In a rail joint, two angular fish plates, each of the said fish plates having its lower face recessed to provide a pocket for the longitudinal edges of the base flanges of the rails, the vertical members 01": the fish plates being longitudinally channeled and occupying the fishing spaces of the rails, means for securing the said vertical members to the webs of the rails, curved resilient members exerting a tension between the vertical and the horizontal members of the fish plates and arranged centrally of the said plates, the horizontal members of the fish plates having their underfaces provided at their outer edges with downwardly extending inwardly curved plates that have their ends outturned, a cushion member arranged between and frictionally engaged by the said curved members, ties for the joint, and means for securing the joint to the ties.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. SELLERS.

WVitnesses EDWARD A. STEVENS, ELLwooD Srnvnns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

